Songs of Our Hearts
by Endlesswriter03
Summary: Betty's dream was to become the best songwriter in the business. In order to do that, she needed to go to her dream school. Everything was going accordingly to her plan until a twist in her life that changed the course of her path. Betty was walking her way back to that yellow bricked road that had even bigger twists coming her way. A twist named Jughead Jones. Bughead!
1. Prologue

Hey there, guess what? You need to read this. Down there. You won't regret it!

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_Prologue_

Slurp!

Betty Cooper-Jones swallowed down the very last sip of her triple chocolate shake. She turned around in her seat taking in the sight of Pop's Diner being filled to the brim with customers. It made her very happy to see it this way as it should be. People were laughing and chattering merrily while they gobbled down their meals. It was a beautiful sight and up on the stage was a customer belting out a song that was casting out lyrics on the screen in front of them, which was a big night at Pops. Over the last year, Pop Tate managed to turn his basement in for a fun center targeted to pull in more customers and to offer them a fun night such a Karaoke night. It was also used as a center for business meeting and the like. Betty also takes in the little details around the room that her the reason she was here on that night. The night was her seventh wedding anniversary to her wonderful husband, Jughead Jones. Speaking of Jughead, Betty's eyes scanned the crowd looking for those eyes that only he could possess but only finding him by the old beanie hat that sat upon a bed of messy curls. She smiles to herself as she has a secret to tell him later. She could not believe how life had blessed her when just a few years ago she was sure that it was going end with her funeral. The song came to an end, and the crowd gave a hearty applause as the singer made their way off the stage.

Betty got out of her stool to go up to the mic. The singer was not bad in the least but was slightly off tune. But that was not what this night was ever about. It was about having fun in a judgment-free zone where the singer whoever it is didn't have to worry about whether or not that sang badly. If anyone in the audience was rude, they were asked to leave. It was also a place where people could tell stories or jokes, whatever was on their tongue.

"Way to go," Betty beamed into the mic as she turned to the rest of the eyes staring her way. She spotted her devilishly handsome husband who was standing with her father-in-law FP Jones and caught the blue eyes that she loved so much.

"I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has come out to celebrate this special night with my husband and me," She continued as she looked for the owner of the diner Pop Tate. "Also to Pop who graciously opened his doors to us and by serving his wonderful food for all us to enjoy. Is there anyone who would like to go next?" Betty asked looking around the room for any potential volunteers to call upon. The voice of her husband as her eyes swinging back to him.

"How about you tell us a story," he suggested with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "I think everyone would like to hear one."

Betty rolled her eyes at him. "And what story would that be, my Love?" she asked him, knowing what he was going to say.

"You know the story," Jughead replied looking to his dad. "The one that everyone loves to hear." He finished by taking a sip of his drink.

"What does everyone else think about that?" Betty asked the crowd as she pulled up a stool to sit on because this was going to take a while. The crowd responded enthusiastically, and she could see her parents smiling at him from where they were seated at their table. "Where should I start?"

"How about at the beginning?" he said his eyes were swirling with happiness.

"I can do that," Betty agreed, crossing her legs at the knee trying to get comfortable, but never once breaking her eye contact with her husband as he mouthed "I love you," to her. Betty could do nothing but smile at him.

Betty takes a deep breath before speaking into the mic to begin the long winded story. "If you all don't know by now, my name is Elizabeth Cooper-Jones," she said with a sense of pride of sharing the name with the man. "And that is Jughead Jones," she included nodding her head to the goof. "He is the star-cross Love of my life," Betty tells her audience. "You see I fell in Love with him like the way you fall asleep. First very slowly, and then all at once. Our story is an epic romance, and I may not be able to tell you this story without bursting into a puddle of tears, but I will give it my best shot." Betty's eyes fall back on to the man who took her heart and made it his own as she began to tell the story of her life. The best journey she lived over and over again because she couldn't get enough herself.

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Next chapter should be up soon!


	2. Chapter 1

Another new chapter! Enjoy!

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Chapter One

_Eight years earlier…_

"Elizabeth Cooper!"

Betty looked up from the magazine she had been flipping through at the sound of her name echoing through the lobby. She tossed the book aside and grabbed on to her oxygen tank as she got out of her seat to meet the nurse that was patiently waiting for her. As she walked, Betty could see every eye in the room on her back. People told her that over time that she would get used to the stares. But for some reason, Betty never did. They would often make her want to crawl under a rock and never come out. However, that was not the way to face her problems, so she kept marching on. Betty smiled at her nurse when she finally reached her.

"Good Morning, Nancy," Betty greeted the elderly lady as Nancy opened the door, allowing her to walk through to her work station.

"How are you today, Betty?" Nancy asked, closing the door behind her, "how are you feeling today?"

"Pretty well," Betty replied before sitting in a rock hard chair that felts like bricks more than leather.

"That is great," Nancy said while looking over my chart, writing something down. "You are here for your biweekly stick, am I correct?"

"You are."

Nancy continued with standard 100 question procedure with the same answers that she always give. They were still awkward even after the many times that Betty answered them.

"Can you please tell me your diagnosis, please?"

Betty took in a deep breath. This was the part that she always hated. "Acute Myeloid Leukemia," she stated, and that is why she hated to answer. All because of those three words and the reason she was here on this very morning just like every other Tuesday. Betty would have to come to have her blood counts checked to make sure that they didn't drop or she wasn't having any complications. Betty wished that they would remember her answers, but realized that they had way too many patients for that to happen.

Nancy scratched something off on the chart she was holding. "What is the status?" she asked, looking up through her wired rimmed glasses.

Betty swallowed as her throat felt very sticky. "I have been in remission for about 14 months," she answered slowly. She always felt like she would jinx her chances for saying it. But so far, so good.

Nancy placed the chart on her desk and started to gather the things that she will need. Soon, she was wrapping the blue ribbon around her upper arm and tied it tight enough to create a wince out of Betty.

"Sorry," she muttered, moving away from Betty for a second when the ringtone of Betty's phone pierced the air. Betty moved down to get it out of her bag but was stopped when she caught the stern look from Nancy. She quickly remembered Nancy's rule about phone calls. Nancy would always grumble about phone calls in the middle of patient visits saying that it disrupted her work. Betty sat back in her chair, deciding to let Nancy win that battle. Betty figured that it was probably just her boyfriend, Archie Andrews, giving her a call. Well, Archie would have to wait until later. Betty was hoping that he would call today because she needed to talk to him about something. A little something about the fact that she would be attending Juilliard in just one week.

Betty could hardly contain her excitement about going. It was something that she wanted since she was a little girl falling in love with music for the first time. Ever since she heard the name Juilliard, she had become obsessed with the school. It became her dream. So ever since she decided that that was her dream, Betty placed every effort of her being to reach that dream. And all that hard work was rewarded with a full music scholarship and being accepted into the school at the age of 17. Everything was ready to go, but then that dream had to be placed on hold. Because apparently, Betty was meant to walk a different path as she was diagnosed with Leukemia the summer before her senior year. Three months from the date that she was granted her wish. Then after that, her life went downhill.

Her mind ran away from the mopey memories to her parents. Her two ever-loving parents, who had been her knights in shining armor, her battle warriors in ways that she will never be able to thank enough. The very parents who she will be leaving in just eight days to the city that was a little over an hour away from New York City where she will be staying for the next four years. Or maybe it was two hours. She couldn't quite remember the exact number. To go to Juilliard.

Juilliard where she will finally get to begin her freshman year. Yes, Juilliard was her dream school, but her biggest dream was to be a songwriter. And that was why she was going there for their songwriting program.

"And you are done, my dear."

The intrusion of Nancy's voice brings Betty out of her inner thoughts and back down to Earth. Betty stared at the nurse as she pieced together the words she had spoken. "What?" she asked her and looked down to see her arms wraps in a dark purple gauze. "Really? I didn't even feel it," Betty murmured touching the bandage. Then again, she never really feels it anymore. After being stuck so many times over the last year or so, Betty grew immune to the sting.

"Yes, that was it. You are free to go," Nancy said, pulling off her gloves to throw them away before walking over to her desk. "Remember that in two weeks that you have your new appointment with Dr. Hamburgs office. The office here has already faxed over your record to them. So they should have everything that they need. All you need to do is take care of yourself while you are gone, you hear?" Nancy swallowed as Betty picked up the slight hitch in her voice. She reached into the small jar on her desk, pulling out a stick with a white kitten on it, peeled it off and placed it to Betty's shirt. "For good luck, next week," she smiled warmly at her.

Betty returned the smile as she wrapped her arms around the other woman. She didn't know if it was okay to do such a thing, but she didn't care. "Thank you for everything, Nancy," she said as she pulled back from the hug. Nancy had been one of her biggest allies during her fight outside of her parents. And being the bright-filled person is, Nancy quickly became one of Betty's favorite people in the world, making her glad to have met such a person.

"Good luck, sweetheart."

With one last weak smile, Betty kicked back her tank and wheeled her way out of the room. Once she was out of the building, Betty reached into her bag for her phone, so she could check to see who called her. And her guesses were right about the caller had been her boyfriend. She hit the call button and put the phone to her ear, listening to it to ring a few times before Archie answered.

"Hey Honey," he greeted her making her grimace at the fuzzy name that made her want to vomit. Yes, Betty hated the pet names that he tended to call her, but she was not about to tell him that.

"Hey," she smiled into the phone while scanning the parking lot for her mother's car until she spotted the old green station wagon in a shady place. Betty felt relieved that her mother was able to grab the spot until the giant tree because it was hotter than hell, being the end of July.

"How did it go today?" he asked her curiously.

"It was just bloodwork, Archie. So I will know in a few days," she told him, scrolling over to the car climbing inside to escape the never-ending heat. "I will let you know what I find out," Betty promised him.

"I can't wait to hear it. Look, there is a reason I called earlier," Archie started before clearing his voice before talking in a slightly louder voice. "I was wondering if you would like to go get something to eat at Pop's tonight?" Betty started to answer but was distracted by the sound of a muffled voice that sounded familiar to her.

"Is Veronica with you?" Betty asked him.

"No, it's just my mom," Archie said quickly, and Betty felt her eyebrows raise.

"Archie, your mom, lives in Chicago," she reminded, "you told me last week that she has a major court case this week and would busy every day," she said, feeling confused on why Archie would lie about being with Veronica. Veronica was their best friend. They didn't need to lie that they like hanging out together unless there was something else going on… Would they do such a thing? No no no, Betty thought to herself. Veronica and Archie wouldn't do something like that to her. Veronica always said over and over again, that hoes always came before bros. "Anyway, tell Veronica that I said hello and I would love to have dinner with you tonight."

"Awesome! I will see you in a little while, Honey," Archie said before hanging up. Betty internally shudders at the pet name because it was twice in one fucking phone call.

"Was that Archie?" her mom asked her, pulling out of the parking space turning the car to move towards the main road. Betty nodded before Alice began to shower her with questions about her appointment. But Betty couldn't hear her as she could only think about the upcoming night and her mind turned to Archie.

Archie Andrews was one of her biggest heroes. She thought back to when they first met when they were only four at the time when Betty's parents bought the house next door to Andrews. However, they didn't start out as friends, and in fact, Betty hated the fucker. He was lazy and would often make fun of her. Whenever they would look at each other, it was usually with a glare. That lasted until one day; Betty found him sitting on his front porch, after riding her bike around the block, upset. Puzzled at seeing him like this, Betty asked if he was okay. Archie told her that his parents were splitting up and that he had to repeat the second grade if he didn't get his reading score up. He looked so sad as he said this. Like someone took his kite and stabbed it. Betty wanted to help him feel better, but she couldn't help with his parents, but she could help with the reading part.

So, she ran back over to her house to her room to try and find any books that would be a good start for Archie. After she had her arms filled with books, Betty marched back over to Archie's porch and promised him that she would help him pass the class. And the rest past was history as they quickly became best friends and were inseparable after that. Wherever Archie went, Betty was with him and vice versa. Then high school happened where things began to change for Archie and Betty. Betty was in complete denial of her feelings for Archie until he went on a date with Josie McCoy.

It was only then that Betty allowed herself to realize that she had a crush on her best friend, Archie Andrews. But it scared her. She wanted to tell him how she felt but was also worried about losing his friendship. So she said nothing. The fling between Josie and Archie quickly fizzled out because the two of often fight over the smallest things. After that, things slowly went back to normal. Then Betty was asked out by Trevor Brown, which turned out to be one of the worst dates in Betty's short life. Betty liked to call it failed date or a fate.

Later on in the year, Betty found out that Trevor came out of the closet as gay. Betty figured that that was the reason why the date was a no go for them and that Trevor only asked her out on that date to try and prove something to his parents. Betty pulled her thoughts back to that train tracks of Archie to the moment things changed for them.

It was during the first week of their junior year, and Betty was about to walk home when Archie asked her to go with him to the Back to School dance. Betty felt her heat burst as she immediately said yes to him. The rest of the week went by very slowly for Betty, and the night finally arrived.

There was something about that night that clicked between them, and it eventually led them to their first kiss that sealed the deal for them. Everything was going great for them. Archie was the football captain, and Betty was a cheerleader. It was almost like a fairy tale until Betty's health started to turn for the worse and the cause behind it as eventually revealed that Betty had cancer. Archie had been incredibly supportive through the whole thing. He would go with her to the appointments, hold her hand when she needed some extra strength. Archie was great a great friend and even a great boyfriend. But Betty frowned as she couldn't help but notice something had changed between them as her thoughts moved to her other best friend, Veronica.

Veronica Lodge moved to Riverdale during Archie and Betty's Sophomore year. Veronica was the reason that Betty was even able to be on the River Vixens squad. The cheerleading captain and Betty's cousin, Cheryl Blossom, was often a bitch to Betty. By commenting on her weight or find something about Betty insult. When Veronica moved to the Riverdale, she had put a stopped to it and demanded that Betty was placed on the squad or Veronica herself would not join the squad and it worked. Veronica was also great through her cancer battle as well.

She would sleep with her during her hospital stays when her mother or father needed a night away. She would lay on the bed and watch movies. Veronica would hold her when she needed to cry, and she even helped shave Betty's hair when it started to fall out. Betty swallowed thickly thinking about her support system and believed that the only way she was able to make it through was because of them.

Another good thing about her two best friends was that they too were accepted into the school of Juilliard. Betty knows that it sounds weird that three students from Riverdale had been accepted into just a sacred school that was for music and other talents. But they did. Betty just happened to be starting a year later than she was supposed to.

Betty is pulled from her head when her mother blows the horn. She looked out the windshield to see her mom pulling into the driveway of their house and could see her father sitting on the side porch reading the Riverdale Register. Betty shook her head at this. She didn't know why her parents had to read a paper that they owned and a paper that they wrote most of the stories. Yeah, her parents were weird, but they were her parents. Betty often wondered if he just read the paper to drown out her mother sometimes or out of complete boredom. When her mom placed the car into the park, Hal Cooper raced around to her door to help her as Betty's tank gets tangled with the door.

"I got it, Dad," Betty told him as she reached down to unravel the wired from around the window handle. It was an older car, so it had features like that in it. Betty tried not to get frustrated with her dad because she knows that he only wanted to help. But Betty felt like she had to prove to them that she could handle things on her own so that they won't worry as much when she leaves next week.

"You know I don't mind helping you, Honey," he said, holding up his hand in a surrender like stance. Now, Betty doesn't mind when her dad calls her that because her dad has been calling her that since she was a little girl. But when Archie does it, it turns her the wrong way. "I missed you."

Betty snorted at him while rolling her eyes. "It's only been two hours since we left the house," she laughed at him as he led the Cooper Women into the house where Betty was hit with the most delicious aroma coming from the crock pot that was sitting in the middle of the island. Betty knew that yummy smell only came from chili, and it was made her mouth water. She sat down on a stool while she watched her dad take the lid off to stir it. She took another deep whiff of the smell coming from the bubbling red goodness in front of her. Her dad noticed her face and chuckled. One of her favorite sounds as he held out a spoon for her.

"Would you like some?" he asked her waving the spoon in front of her, and it was enough to make her cave.

Betty slipped the spoon into her mouth and almost melted at the tastes. It was rich and spicy, and everything that chili was supposed to be. "It's good, but it needs some salt," she told him. Hal quickly grabbed the salt shaker and sprinkled the seasoning over the chili, stirred it, and tasted some for himself.

"How about now?" Hal asked her, offering her another spoon, and Betty was only too happy to accept it.

"Yep," Betty said after swallowing her bite. "It's perfect now," she smiled, smacking her lips while her stomach growled begging her for more. "No more," she said when he started to hand her another spoon.

"She has a big date tonight, Hal," Alice said, sliding into the seat next to Betty before grabbing the spoon that was meant for Betty. Betty felt her cheeks begin to burn as her father's attention returned to her.

"How is good old Archie?" Hal asked, "I have seen him much since he has been home from school for the summer."

"He is doing pretty well, Dad," Betty said, waiting for her heart to do its little flip at the thought of Archie's smile, but it doesn't happen. Betty takes a deep breath as she watched her mom stick the spoon into her mouth. Betty laughed as her mom's eye rolled around something Alice Cooper did when she was thinking about something.

"It needs salt."

Hal frowned at his wife. "I just put salt in, Alice," he told her, and with that, her parents erupted into a minor snippet over the salt content of the chili. They tended to have small arguments over the slightest thing, and Betty was not in the mood to watch the sexual blabber between her two parents. She did want an appetite for later, after all.

"I am gonna go get ready," Betty said to her parents, but they were deep in their conversation that they didn't hear her. So, Betty slid out of the stool to head to her room and over to her most dreaded thing, the stairs. As she made the harsh trek up to her room, a tune started coming together in her mind. She finally makes it to the top of the stairs and hurried to her room. Betty sank into her chair, feeling completely winded from the climb. That was why she hated stairs. No matter the direction she was going on them, they seemed to wipe all the oxygen and energy from her body.

Betty took a deep breath before turning to her two most prized possessions. Her soundboard and her keyboard. They were presents from her parents on her birthday and now played a significant role in her songwriting. Betty looked over to her bookshelves that were lined with many numerous journals. Well, they would look like journals to anyone else, but they weren't. They were the books filled with the many songs that Betty has written over the years. And those were just some of them. Betty had a few boxes in her closet that held even more. Betty turned her attention to the important matter at hand. The tune in her mind. She glanced to the door, making sure her mother was nowhere around before cracking her knuckles. She knew if her mom caught her doing this, it would cause a major lecture that would end with Betty's ears bleeding. Betty called it getting her fingers ready for their little work out.

Betty played the tune over and over in her mind before testing it on the keys. She winced as it was not what she had in mind, so she tried again and again until she was happy with that she was hearing. Betty's fingers continued to float over the keys as she loses herself in the music. This was what she loved about music. It was like she grew wings that took her to another world where there's no cancers or oxygen tanks. It was like she landed on her fantasy island that was for her. She missed this place so much and wanted to stay here forever. If anyone who ever see inside her mind, they would think that she was crazy. But she didn't care. She loved music.

"Betty! Archie is here!"

Betty jumped, hitting an off-key at the sounds of her mother's shrill voice wavered up the stairs. Betty's eyes snapped over to her clock where the numbers were angry red and screaming the numbers 6:45 at her.

"Shit!" Betty scrambled out of her seat as fast as she could go. Archie hated being late, and they were going to be really late. Betty hurried over to her closet doors, searching through the rows of clothes looking for something that would catch her eye. Betty never had much of a fashion sense and always preferred to dress for comfort. And that was kicking her in the ass as she settled on a red shirt with a black skirt. They were only going to Pop's anyway, so she didn't need to go all out. When she leaned down to snatch up her black boots, she felt her chest tighten. She stood up slowly and walked over to her bed to sit down, feeling completely breathless. Betty hated when this happened. It often meant that she was moving way too fast and that she needed to slow down. She changed her outfit quickly, not even bothering with any jewelry.

When she was done, Betty gave herself a glance in the mirror and grimaced at the image. Staring back at her was not the girl she could recognize. Her face held every little color, and there was a thick batch of messy curls barely covered the back of her neck. Her hair was nothing like it was before. She missed being able to put her hair up in a ponytail. She had wigs that she could wear, but they were more itch than comfortable. Her eyes then settled on the cannula sticking out of her nose and shook her head in disgust. She applied a thin layer of foundation to try and hide the dark circles under her eyes, and after a quick swipe of a pink gloss, Betty Cooper was ready for the evening.

"Do you need help?"

Betty looked up to see her mom standing in the door and shook her head, telling her no.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked her daughter, sounding a little worried. "You look a little pale." She noted walking into the room to place her hand on Betty's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom," Betty assured her. She looked at her mom in the mirror to see her hold up her hand, revealing a small necklace with a little red teardrop.

Betty turned around in her stool to look at it. "Is that grandma's necklace?" she asked as she began to place it around her neck.

"Yes, Ma'am," she finished with the clasp and placed her hands on to Betty's shoulders. "You look beautiful, Betty." Betty could see a thin layer of tears in her mother's eyes. "I love you so much, Elizabeth."

"Me too, Mom," she said, getting out of her seat hugging her close. Betty Cooper was fortunate to have Alice Cooper for a mother. (I know it is not true in the show. I mean what kind of mother would do everything she could to get her daughter to a farm that farms organs?) Betty didn't know how her mother made it through her illness, but Alice Cooper did it like a fucking champ. Betty could only hope to have that kind of strength one day. She walked back over to her keyboard to hit the save button on her new piece. She never took any chances with that because she never knew if the power would blink or something odd would happen.

"Now let's go," Alice said, leading Betty out of the room by her arm. "You have a very handsome gentleman waiting for at the bottom of the stairs." With her mother's help, Betty slowly made her way down to the living room. Betty looked up, and there he was Archie Andrews in the flesh. With his red hair gleaming in the light and his white teeth on to show like he was in an Extra Gum commercial. He looked terrific, and she had missed him.

"Finally," Archie sighed when he spotted her. Yep, he was not happy because there was an edge to his voice. Betty glanced at her father, making sure that Hal wouldn't pick up on it because she didn't need him going all ape shit over Archie when he went into one of his protective modes. And Betty knew that he was probably irritated because they were late leaving for Pop's.

"Sorry, I was writing again, and I lost track of time," Betty said as her eyes dropped to the floor. She didn't know why she was apologizing for when Archie knew what writing meant to her.

"Oh, Honey," Archie snickered while shaking his head. Betty cringed internally and bit down on her lip so she would not lose her cool.

"Well, I am ready now," she smiled at him walking over to take his arm and they were out the door. But not before Betty waved goodbye to her parents knowing that they were watching from the front door.

"Don't be home too late," her mom yelled out the door, her voice echoing throughout the neighborhood. Betty snorted when she saw their neighbor's porch light come on. Yeah, her mom had that kind of sharp voice that could pierce its way through brick walls.

"I won't," Betty said, blowing them a kiss before Archie tried to help her into the car only for her to fall clumsily into the seat. Betty missed being able to get into a car with a little bit of grace. Betty waved one more time at her parents before Archie pulled away from the curb and into the nights. Betty's stomach growled as she thought about the huge plate of cheese fries that waited for her. But Betty didn't know that she was riding into a night that she least expected.

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Enjoy! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reads and reviews. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

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_Chapter Two_

Betty had to bite back an excited grin as Pop's finally came in their view. Pop's was her favorite restaurant in the whole world. The atmosphere was nothing but comfort and warmth that made Pop's what it was. And the food, of course. The food was nothing short of fabulous — the best burgers and fries in Riverdale. Then there are the milkshakes. They deserve their own glory because there was nothing like a Pop's milkshake — creamy, smooth, delicious treats. Betty had been coming to Pop's since her family moved to Riverdale when she was only a little girl. It was where she and Archie had their first date. It was also the place where Betty would come to work on her songs when she wanted to get out of the house. Some of her best songs were written here due to the people watching she would do. But there was something else that made Pop's great and it wasn't just the food. It was because of Pop Tate himself. One of the warmest souls that a person could find in the world. He was everyone's favorite grandpa, which seemed odd because he never had kids of his own, nor did he ever marry. He was just so devoted to the diner after his mother passed away that nothing else seemed to fill the void.

Archie pulled into the very last vacant spot that he could find which was surprising because the diner was buzzing with people tonight. This was a common sight on a Friday night. Betty could hear the constant ringing of the bell as people walked in and out of the door. When they would walk to Pop's, Archie and Betty could hear the bell ringing from a block away. Betty opened the door to get out and was met by Archie who hurried around to help her causing the independence bubble inside her to grow. That was just how she was. Thankfully, she was able to escape from the car with no issues for the book tonight, and the couple goes inside.

Betty's stomach began to growl at the yummy smell of food hit her nose. She was hungry when she left the clinic only to go home to the smell of chili cooking in the house. And they were here, and she was starving. It did not take long for Pop to spot them, and he came over to them with a big smile on his face as usual. Did the man ever have any bad days?

He walked around the counter, enveloping Betty into his strong arms in a warm buttery embrace. Wow, three hugs in one day… How lucky am I, Betty thought to herself, but in all honesty, Betty loved his hugs.

"My Betty Dear," He greeted with an overflowing fountain of jolly. "We missed you in here."

Betty chuckled as she pulled out of the embrace giving him a crazy look. "It's only been two days since my last visit."

"It must be my old mind going," Pop rubbed his forehead that was dripping in sweat. A sign that he had been working up a storm trying to feed the entire hungry with little to no help. "I always look forward to seeing my favorite customer."

"Oh Pop," Betty beamed. "You live to flatter me." Betty looked around the place spotting a free booth in the corner while Pop turned his attention to Archie, who was standing behind her quietly waiting to take his seat.

"Archie," he said coldly as he extended a hand out to the redhead.

Betty blinked at the iciness in Pop's voice, bringing the temperature of the diner down a few degrees. She was more stunned than anything. She has never heard Pop speak like that to anyone before. Hell, she never knew he could be like and to Archie of all people. What was that about? She wondered to herself.

"Go ahead and take that seat over there," Pop said, waving his hand in the direction. "Someone will be with you guys shortly."

Betty gave Pop a thankful smile before walking over the booth sliding into the seat. She sighed at the welcoming seat as she was feeling tired. She decided after she went home that she would go to bed and sleep. Her chemo treatments wiped out most of her stamina, and it didn't take her much to get tired.

After placing her tank under the table and out of the way, Betty looked over to Archie only to see him not staring at her but the table. She then realized that Archie had been unusually quiet all evening. She begins to ask him what is wrong, but the words never leave her mouth as a waitress appeared at their table read for their order.

"Hello my Dears," she smiled warmly placing rolled silverware in front of them along with two straws. "What can I see started for you? Chili cheese fries are the special tonight."

"Oooh," Betty sighed as the image of cheesy fries enter her mind. "I will have those with a bacon cheeseburger with a vanilla milkshake with extra whipped cream."

"That sounds delicious," the waitress said, writing it down on her pad before turning to Archie. "For you Hon?" Soon the waitress was scurrying off to turn in their order, leaving them alone and once again no words were exchanged between the couple.

Betty nibbled her lip as the uncomfortable silence began to eat at her. She was not a big fan of these moments, and it quickly tore at her patience. So she decided to be the one to break the ice. "Is everything okay?" she asked, causing Archie to lift his eyes and look at her for the first time since they sat down.

Archie shrugged a shoulder as he picked up a napkin off the table, shredding it into pieces. "I have a lot of things on my mind tonight," he mumbled so lowly that Betty had to lean forward to hear the words.

"I can tell," Betty said, reaching over to place a hand on his saving the poor napkin from its ill fate. "Do you want to talk about it? Are you worried about school?" she asked him.

Archie shook his head. "No, it's not school. I can't wait to get back to that." He pulled his hand out of Betty's grasp.

Betty took a deep breath as she tucked her hand into her lap, feeling confused at Archie shrugging her off. He never did that to her. "Well, there is something wrong with you tonight," she said pointedly, and he said nothing. If she had known that their date would be like this, she would have stayed home to have chili or do something else with her time. "Are you mad because I made us late?" she pressed, and again she was met with another closed lip Archie which started to irritate her.

Archie closed his eyes before leaning forward into his seat. "We need to talk," he said, looking up at her.

Betty let out a curt laugh. "That is what I am trying to do here, Arch."

Their conversation didn't get any further as their waitress appeared with their food. She placed their plates in front of them along with their shakes. "You kids enjoy," she said with a smile turning around to talk to another customer.

"Let's eat first," Archie said quickly pulling his plate closer to him.

Betty raised an eyebrow at his while snatching up the ketchup to drizzle over her fries. Feeling frustrated at Archie and her favorite way to deal with frustration was to eat. So, she stuffed three fries that was smothered in cheese, chili and, ketchup into her mouth as she simmered to herself. But it didn't help her mood at all. "No," she said, firmly pushing her plate away from her. "Talk to me."

"Just eat your food, Betty."

Betty's head jerked back at the forcefulness of his voice. He had never spoken to her like that before, and did he not know who she is? There was no way in hell she was letting this matter dropped because she wouldn't be able to enjoy her evening with her mind on Archie's fucking attitude.

"No," she crossed her arms, furrowing her brow at him. "Tell me what is going on with you? And please do not tell me it is nothing. I am not an idiot, so get on with it already."Archie stared at her for a moment.

She reached under the table for her tank strap deciding that she about had had enough of Archie's bullshit for one night when Archie's lips finally part open.

"We need to break up."

Betty felt her jaw drop open as his words registered with her mind. Whatever it was...she was not expecting this. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm sorry. Did you just say that we need to break up?" She swallowed against a harsh lump building up in her throat. It wasn't the fact of breaking up that was getting to her. It was their history of being friends to best friends, to lovers to ex-lovers. Their relationship would end. Their time and efforts doing down the drain into separate pipes that would never come together again- lost forever.

"Yes, I did."

Betty looked down to her uneaten food, trying to blink back the tears and anger quickly sets in. "So that is the reason that you brought me here tonight? So that you can end things?"

Archie broke his stare, dropping his eyes back down to the table. "Pretty much."

"I see," she said in a quiet voice as her mind recalled the last few weeks. Archie had been coming to see her before his term at school let out, and it made her wonder if breaking up was the reason behind his visits. But he didn't have the guts to say anything. And if Betty was honest with herself, Archie had been acting strangely for a while. More distant. She just figured it was because of him being away at school. He also had been calling her a lot more. When he first started school, they would talk a couple of times a week, and he would come and see her. Then school began to take over, and things had to be moved around, and Betty understood because school was essential and extremely competitive. But Betty had to know for herself. "Have you been trying to break up for a while?"

"Yeah," he said through thinned lips like it was actually paining him to say it.

Betty pursed her lips at this. "Why?" she crossed her arms. "Why drag it out? Why couldn't you do it and get it over with? I mean I am missing chili night with my family," she told him and she didn't care that she was feeling bitter about either. Betty loved chili night with her family, and this one might be the last one until she came home for the holidays. "Just tell me the truth."

"I just didn't know how to do it," Archie said slowly, "I didn't want to hurt you, Betty."

"I can assure you that you didn't," She told him. Okay, he did hurt her, but Betty would never admit it to his face. "I am more pissed that you took so long to do it."

"You need to know the truth why I am breaking up with you," he mumbled, "I have been seeing someone else."

"There is something else that I need to tell you, Betty," he started dropping his gaze.

"Let's hear it," she pressed, hating that he was tiptoeing around the bush. She began tapping her fingers on the table while she waited for Archie to speak if that was ever going to happen. "Just get it over with already."

Betty stared at the man before her, or the shadow of a man, feeling the air in her lungs being sucked out her. The air spread through her veins like an icy chill on a cold day. "You are seeing someone else?" she asked him in a small voice. Archie nodded, and she felt like she had been punched in her stomach. Archie had been seeing someone else while he kept telling her that he loved her? While he made promises to her? Why wasn't she enough for him? Was being with her too much of a hassle that Archie had to off to graze in greener pastures. "Are you serious?" she was unable to keep the hurt of her voice. Betty was strong, but she was still human.

"I am."

The lump in her throat grew by the second. "How could you do something like this, Archie?" she swallowed. Betty closed her eyes, feeling her fists curl tightly. "I never thought you would be that kind of a guy. You are better than this Archie. How long?"

"What?" he asked her.

"How long?" she repeated, "I deserve to know the truth about everything. You owe me that. So tell me how long this has been going on?"

"Does it ever matter?"

Betty glared at him. "It matters to me. It matters to me that I just wasted my time with someone who had no regards for my feelings. So do me a favor and answer my damn questions. Can you at least do that for me?" she asked icily, knowing that she was probably gaining unwanted attention from the other diner goers, but she didn't care. She was past that point.

"Six months."

Betty scoffed as she pulled her milkshake taking a nice long sweet sip of the creamy goodness. It was yummy and comforting. "You know, I never pegged you as a cheater, Archie." Her mind ran back to their phone call earlier that day. "I hope you and Veronica are happy together."

"What?" Archie's eyes widened. "How do you know? Has she said something to you before?"

Betty shook her head while playing with her straw. "Nope. You just did. And Veronica? Archie, she is my best friend. Wait, sorry was my best friend as well as your best friend."

"I know that, and we know that what we have been doing is wrong. I want to say-"

"Stop," Betty raised her hand, shaking her head. "Don't," she said with extra coldness in her voice. "Don't you dare apologize to me because I do not want it. I can believe that my two best friends have been going behind my back. The two people that I have trusted the most." A tear rolled down her cheek and hurried to erase it. Archie and Veronica didn't deserve her tears and they sure as hell were not going to get them. Her stomach rolled violently taking away any appetite she had, making her push her plate further away.

Betty pushed the hurt aside. "Fine. Whatever. If you want to be with Veronica, then be with her. I can't change your mind or take back your actions," she said bravely. "What done is done. I hope you can live with your actions because I never want to see you or Veronica again. So I hope it was worth it. However, I will be giving you two no more, though, because I leave for Juilliard in a week."

"What do you mean leaving for Juilliard?" Archie questioned. "When will you be going there?"

She rolled her eyes at her ex-boyfriend. "Did you not hear what I just said? I said next week, dumbass." She took another sip of her shake. "Maybe if you weren't so wrapped around Veronica and other parts of her body, you might actually hear what I have to say. Or pay attention to others around you." She applauded herself on the excellent line she just gave. Hell, she was proud of herself. Someone had to be, why couldn't it be her?

"Betty," Archie said gently, "you can't go to Juilliard."

"Why the hell not?" She asked him harshly, crossing her arms, wanting to know his reasoning behind his words. "Wait, is it because you and Veronica also go there?"

"Well, yeah."

Betty tutted, shaking her head at the redhead in front of her. "You are one of the dumbest people I have ever known, Archie Andrews." She felt an urge to slap him right across the face for asking her such a thing. Doesn't he know how hard she had to work to get to this point in her life? The itch in her palm grows even stronger, but she refrained herself. "Did you really just say that?" she asked too stunned even to believe herself.

"You are so talented, Betty. You can go anywhere you want," Archie tried to reason with her. Betty had to tighten her hand around her milkshake because the itch in her palm grew even mightier. "Just please, don't go to Juilliard."

Betty narrowed her eyes at him. "The only reason that you don't want me to go is so that you and Veronica don't have to feel guilty every time you see my face," she shook her head. "I am sorry, but no. You don't get to ask me that. I have worked my ass my entire life for this. I am not giving my dream up, not even for my cheater of a boyfriend who cheats on me with my best friend. What kind of a sick son of a bitch are you?"

"Betty, please stop. I am sorry that I hurt you."

"I'm not," she snapped at him, "In fact, you are doing me a favor. Now that I am not tied down with a relationship, I can focus on my career. I have lost enough time, so this can be a good thing for me to catch up. So thank you, Archie, from the bottom of my heart," she placed a hand on the middle of her chest before nodding to the door. "You need to leave," she said, not wanting to look at his face.

"What?"

"I said that you need to leave," she said her voice growing hoarse. There was so much doing on inside her that it was beginning to stress out her lungs. There were feelings of anger, hurt, and betrayal that her lungs began to seize up. She wanted to scream, laugh, cry, and hit him all at the same time. There was never a time in her life where she felt like a fool, even when she was bald.

Archie had the nerve to give her a smug look. "You can't make me leave," he pointed out to her just as Pop walked through the aisle talking to other customers.

"She can't make you leave," Pop piped up, causing Archie to twist around in his seat. "But I can," Pop prodded himself in the chest before sending a wink Betty's way.

Archie turned back around in his seat, looking at Betty. "How would you get home?" he asked her.

"Now you are worried about my wellbeing? Where was this when you decided to hook up with Veronica?"

Archie reached over to place a hand on her arm, but Betty jerked her arm away before he had the chance to touch her. "I still care about you, Betty."

"Yeah, right."

"Let me at least take you home," Archie pleaded with her. "It's a long walk back to your house."

"I am not going anywhere with you," she sneered coldly, "I will find a way home myself," she looked away from him.

Pop took this moment to grab the back of Archie's shirt, pulling him out of the booth. "Let's go," he ordered the boy, dragging him through the aisle towards the door. Betty watches them go before her eyes drop to their milkshakes and she couldn't keep the grin from spreading on her face and reached under the table for her tank slipping it on to her shoulder before grabbing the shakes.

She tucked the milkshakes behind her back before making her way through the diner, trying to catch up to them. "Pop wait," she called out, her voice echoing through the place, causing the two men to stop just a few steps from the door. "Archie forgot something," she explained to Pop and Archie gave her a confused look. When she reached them, Betty smiled at them before yanking her hands out from behind her back, pouring not one, but both shakes on to Archie's head. Her insides squealed like a little girl in a candy store as she watched the vanilla and chocolate liquid mix together as it slowly slid down the shocked face of Archie Andrews coating it in the glorious stickiness. Revenge never felt so sweet. Betty shook her head at the irony of her thoughts.

The diner burst into applause, causing Betty to look around to see everyone shooting her a big thumbs up. She bows to her audience for her incredible performance before turning to her ex-boyfriend for the last time. "Now you may go," she told him with a satisfied smile while Archie scrambled to wipe the flood from his eyes.

"Betty," he said, stunned at her actions. It was indeed the funniest thing she had ever seen. Archie was looking at her like a fish in a fishbowl, making her want to take a can of worms to shove into his gaping mouth. "Why did you this? This will get all over my car," he said, looking down at his covered shirt as it had dripped down his shoulders to his chest. "My dad will kill me for messing up the front seat."

Betty smiled at him. "I am so sorry about that, Archie," she shrugged her shoulder at him. "I wish that I could really help you with that, but it is no longer my problem. Call Veronica and ask her to give you a ride home." Betty turned on her heel as Pop pushes Archie out of the diner. She plopped down in a stool as tears filled her eyes as she thinks about the two friends that she had lost in a matter of an hour. Two bonds that she held very dear and close to her heart all because two people decided to be so selfish. Well, to hell with them! She told herself.

She covered her face as tears leave wet trails down her cheek. She tried to hold on to the sobs that were begging to let loose until she was home in her bed with her favorite stuffed cat, Ginger, without the world witnessing her falling apart. But it was no use as they sliced through her wall and into her hands. She felt the counter vibrate under her elbows followed by the sound of a bowl being placed in front of her. She lifted her wet eyes from her hands to see a sundae with, sprinkles, caramel, cherries, and extra whipped cream. The sight of her favorite things in front of her warmed her heart from the icy shatters of the evening.

She wiped her tears off her cheeks, pulling the treat closer. "Thanks, Pop," she smiled weakly at him chucking a stemless cherry into her mouth. The sweetness was good, but not enough to chase her sadness away. "He's been cheating on me," she sniffed swallowing thickly against another wave a tear threating to make their appearance. "I feel like such an idiot." She poked at the ice cream with her spoon, watching the caramel drip on off the end. And she did, for not noticing the signs or were there any? Was it her? Was it her fault? Was she not enough for him? Was her cancer battle too much for him? What happened?

Pop shook his head at the girl. "Betty," he said warmly coaxing her eyes away from the counter. "A true man never cheats on a woman of his affections," he told her through years of wisdom.

Betty looked back down, feeling her eyes sting with tears once again as Archie's words burn through her mind. "He asked me not to go to Juilliard," she wiped a tear escaping her eye, not knowing how he could ask her such a thing when Archie knew that Juilliard was her biggest dream. The only thing she ever wanted to do in her life. The only thing that kept her going through the past year. The goal of her going to Juilliard had been her savior.

"Please, do not listen to him, Betty," Pop begged her, "you deserve to go. You have been working way too hard for this, only to let him stir you away from what you want."

Betty took in a deep breath. "Oh, hell would be freezing over before that ever happened. There is no way that I am giving that up." She felt a new sense of determination filling her soul. A determination that was like gasoline to a fire that only made that fire rage hotter.

"There is the Betty Cooper that I am so fond of. You are too talented ever to do something like that. I will be missing you when you leave next week. And speaking of Juilliard," Pop reached for something under the counter. "I have something for you," he said, holding up his hand that now contained a yellow envelope. "I was planning on giving you this the night before you left for school, but I figure now would a good time as ever," he handed it to her.

Betty gave him a surprised look as she took it into her hand. It was very thick, and her breath caught as she opened it to see what it was. Inside was a bundle of cash in every denomination from 100 dollars bills down to 1 dollar bills. By the amount of money in her hand, she guessed it was pretty close to a thousand in total. "I can't accept this," she whispered, flicking the pad of her thumb along the side of the bills.

"Sure you can," Pop said as she looked back down at the money. She was stunned by the offer. An offer that she couldn't take. "This is just something that was collected for you over the last year." Betty felt her eyes burn for a different reason. "It's just a little going away present from the town and wanted to tell you how proud we are of you. You are very loved here, Betty."

"Pop Tate," She muttered in awe of the generous man before her. She couldn't believe that he would go to such lengths or well the whole town just for her. "Can I at least pay my meal with it?" She asked, hopefully.

"No," Pop shook his head. "I will be very offended if you did. Consider the meal on the house," he said with a final note in his voice before his eyes shifted to the door. "I think your ride is here."

Betty twisted around in her seat to see her other best friend, Sweet Pea, pushing his way into the diner. She gave him a smile when he spotted her. If there were ever an odd friendship, her and Sweet Pea would be at the top of the list. They were complete opposites, and she knew that is why their friendship was so great. Betty could tell him things that she would never even consider telling Archie or Veronica. Their friendship happened by accident. Sweet Pea was from the Southside, and for some reason, the city of Riverdale found his school unsafe and closed it down due to building hazards. Hence, the Southside High students were transferred to her school, Riverdale High.

Sweet Pea was also the reason that she fell in love with soundboards. It was their sophomore year, and she had stayed after school to work on the music for their school production. She walked into the AV room where she found a soundboard looking so beautiful and begging her to play with it. So, she sat down, pressing different buttons, trying to figure out how it worked. Her fun was disrupted when Sweet Pea came back from the restroom. She felt eyes on her back, so she turned around to see him standing behind her watching her. Not expecting him to be there, Betty jumped, causing herself to fall out of the chair in front of him. He did nothing but laugh at her, and that was how their friendship started.

After she made a fool out of herself, the burly looking boy helped her out of the floor. She thanked him and asked about the soundboard. They talked a bit before he sat down to show her how to make melodies on it. Then they agreed to work on the sound for the play which put their friendship in the books. Most days, Betty preferred Sweet Pea over Archie or Veronica. They just clicked. Sweet Pea was more comfortable to talk to because he rarely passed any judgment, or he would see things and offer advice.

"I saw the way things were going in that booth, and I called him," Pop said, pulling her attention away from Sweet Pea. "I figured that you would need a friend, but he will be mad that he missed the milkshake attack."

"What milkshake attack?" Sweet Pea asked, sinking into the seat beside Betty. "Don't tell me I missed another great evening again."

Betty snickered. "Hardly." She worked on her ice cream while filling Sweet Pea on the events of her night. By the end of it, his fingers were curling into fists.

"That son of a bitch," Sweet Pea grumbled into his root beer float. "Wait until I see that Rooster. He will be looking like a cooked lobster when I am done with him."

"Sweets," she giggled as she tried to picture it. "Thanks for the offer, but you don't need to do that. He already got a milkshake facial in front of the entire diner. So, I think he had enough same for the night." She patted him on the shoulder. To a stranger, Sweet Pea looks like a big tough guy with his tall height and scowls along with his muscular arms in armless denim jackets. But he was really a soft teddy bear she found out as she got to know him better well at least to her he was. To the other students, they tended to stay out of his way unless their name was Reggie Mantle and normally Archie usually lagged behind him making a riff between the boys. They never did see eye to eye on anything. Reggie and Sweet Pea both had big mouths that often would land the two boys in trouble or either a fist fight that would receive numerous detentions. Sweet Pea was honestly the sibling she never had.

Sweet Pea scowled at the counter. "One day, I will get my punch." He turned to look to Betty. "He was never good enough for you, anyway. Archie will never be able to replace you, you know?"

"And he will have to live with that because I will never be taking him back," she vowed to Sweets offering him a cherry. "You didn't know, did you?

Sweet Pea took the cherry from her. "If I had known what he was doing, you would have known a lot sooner after I kicked his ass."

Betty laughed before breaking into a yawn causing Sweet Pea's anger to shift to concern. Sometimes, Sweet Pea could be a worry wart. "I'm just tired," she told him, pushing her empty dish away from her.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah," she sighed as she realized that she now had to tell her parents what happen, but decided to tell her parents her own story. They didn't need to know the reason why she and Archie ended their relationship or a reason to worry about her leaving for school even more. "It's been a long night."

Sweet Pea gave her a small smile before they walked out of Pop's to where he helped her into his dark green truck because of the wide gap from the ground to the step bar. They share a bit of small talk since Betty was not really in the mood to do anything talking during the drive back to her house. Sweet Pea gave her a long-winded pep talk, and she wished him a good night and head inside to her parents. When the long conversation was over, Betty went up to her room.

After a nice hot shower, she climbed on to her bed, hugging Ginger tightly to her chest while she turned on Netflix to find a movie. She scrolled through several rows before settling on Bambi. Soon she is lost in the film as the scenes go by laughing at the cute animals on the screen. When it moved to the scene, she dreaded the most and covered her face with her pillow. She could hear the dangerous music followed by the sound of Bambi's mother telling him to run with fright in her voice. Gunshot after gunshot sounded until the fatal shot rang through her ears. She poked her eye out of her pillow to see Bambi leaving his thicket to look for his mother. His desperate calling for his mother. This was the part that always broke her, and this time, it was no different. Tears welled up in her eyes as the music played, and the words of Bambi's father breaks her dam.

Betty sobbed into Ginger as large tears leaked out her eyes wetting the stuffed cat. She wept for several minutes until she decided that it was enough. She wiped her cheeks dry as she got out of her bed to walk over to her keyboard. She glanced at the time which had her reaching for her earphones, knowing that her parents were most likely in bed. She plugged them in diving into the music, her emotion flowing through her fingers to the keys testing out different tunes until she found the one that suited her mood. She reached over to her desk for a blank music sheet marking down the notes along with some lyrics that popped into her head.

Betty set her pencil down as her eyes scanned the page. She let out a sigh of frustration as she didn't know what the problem was. Something wasn't clicking, and she didn't know if it was the words or the melody. She rubbed her eyes and looked back at the clock, which widened as she read 2 am. How did time fly by so quickly? When she looked earlier, it was just before midnight. She turned back to her new song. Betty liked what she had so far, but something was missing. Maybe the reason it wasn't making any sense to her was due to her brain being half asleep. She decided to read over it one more time before she went to bed.

_"You stole my happy. You made me cry. You took the lonely and took me for a ride. And I want to undo it. You had my soul, but now I want it back."_

Betty stopped to strike out the word _soul_ and replaced it with the word _heart_. She smiled to herself as it sounded better. And it would have to do for the time being because her body was begging for sleep. She stood up, stretching her limbs as she walked over to her bed climbing in, making sure to take her evening meds, which were only vitamins, and did what was necessary for the oxygen tank. She turned out her lamp and fell asleep to the quiet hum of her fan.

* * *

Let me know what you think and I will try to have the next chapter up soon!


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